in Detroit. This new battery-electric crossover is the latest iteration of the BYD e6, a car already exhibited at Detroit shows since 2009 though not yet marketed in this country. BYD's other automobile debut at Detroit 2011, described elsewhere here, is its S6DM plug-in hybrid.

Non-automotive dreams completing the Detroit "Three Green Dreams" theme are BYD's solar panels and its lithium-ion/iron phosphate batteries. Also being shown are the company's home energy storage units, energy-saving LED lighting and its K9, a 40-ft. electric bus. That is, automobiles are only part of the BYD (as in Build Your Dream) industrial empire.

The 5-door, 5-passenger shape and size of the 2012 e6 Premier have evolved from the earlier e6's clear homage to a yet earlier Toyota Previa minivan. As such, the e6 Premier is a cleanly handsome if boxy design, a little larger than the Mazda5 available on this side of the Pacific. As proof of its home-market functionality, a 50-car fleet of the predecessor e6 has accumulated more than 370,000 miles of battery-electric taxi service in Shenzhen, China. It's said that plans to bring this earlier version to North America were shelved in the interest of developing a version more suitable to our requirements. It's also not evident that BYD has cleared all the federal regulation hurdles for selling the car in the U.S.

The new car's battery pack features BYD's lithium-ion/iron-phosphate technology. It's now claimed to give the e6 Premier an impressive range of 300 km, more than 186 miles, between charges. Note, however, at last year's show, the claim was 330 km/205 miles; back in 2009, it was 400 km/248 miles. While on the topic of claims reassessment, top speed of the e6 dropped from 100 mph in 2009 to 87 mph in 2010. Initial indications are the 87 mph has held its own for the 2012 e6 Premier.

BYD reports it takes only 40 minutes to recharge the e6 Premier, albeit through a 100-kW quick-charge site. Note, however, this level of charging power is almost twice that delivered via our country's proposed quick-charge Level III specification. An overnight charge in 6 hours, likely from something equivalent to our 220-volt Level II, sounds more feasible for our infrastructure.

These caveats exist because, despite its corporate optimism, BYD has yet to market any cars in the U.S. Federal crash and safety regulations are still to be met, aspects that have challenged Chinese automakers in the past. There are those who are confident that BYD cars are the real deal—investment wizard Warren Buffett, for one, with a 10-percent stake in them. Others are adopting a more conservative policy, at least waiting until the cars are available here. In the meantime, it's good to see BYD exhibiting its prowess at the world's auto shows.